Hannah Gyovai: Sees patriarchy in election filing deadline issue

mactrunk

Published: 5/8/2018 7:52:09 PM

Sees patriarchy in election filing deadline issue

I have to ask myself, even if I didn’t count Chelsea Sunday Kline among my dearest friends, would I still disagree with the opinion of David Narkewicz that the filing deadline should be extended for the state Senate seat formerly held by Stan Rosenberg (“Northampton, Hatfield to lose representation,” May 4)?

And then I think that Rosenberg has not had a primary challenger since 1991 and, yet, this is the first time there has been a call for “a full and robust debate” about the needs of the district? Would this cry for an extension even be happening if the candidate were an acceptable male, one already welcome in the political club, who had — as Chelsea did — followed the rules and filed his nomination papers by the deadline established by state law (requiring passage of special legislation by both the House and Senate, and signature by the governor to be changed)?

What makes these such extraordinary circumstances? Is it perhaps that the Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester District has never had a female senator, and that only 197 women have ever served in the Massachusetts Legislature, compared with over 20,000 men?

I don’t mean to oversimplify. I’m sure there are layers of complexity to this thing. But really? This sure looks like patriarchy to me.